


Hard Choices

by Raalm, ToxicExotic



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Multi, neo-centric, selectively mute neopolitan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:40:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25384696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raalm/pseuds/Raalm, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToxicExotic/pseuds/ToxicExotic
Summary: Neo is working her way out of debt, When something happens and changes everything that she knows.
Relationships: Will be revealed
Comments: 31
Kudos: 16





	1. Disdain

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Toxic here, this is my first work that I've mainly written in years. So any and all feedback is welcome.
> 
> Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rooster Teeth Productions
> 
> Co-authored/Edited by Raalm

_Yet another job done for the ‘greater good’,_ she scoffed softly, pulling a few tablets from a package before tossing the lot of them into the bathtub behind her. _Greater good? Yeah, right._ Like there was anything good about murder, though she could maybe agree on this one. Scoping out her target had revealed to her that he had been a paedophile, one with a propensity for young girls, faunus in particular.

Unlike most of the populace of the three kingdoms, Neo didn't have anything against faunus. They didn’t bother her, she didn’t bother them; that's how it works on the streets. The faunus were generally looked down on as subhuman, something unnatural; but she didn’t agree with that standpoint. As far as Neo could tell, they were humans with only a few additional parts, and a few advantages too. Night vision being one of them, increased agility another, and in a few rare cases, additional strength which made going after them tricky. Thankfully, most faunus tended to stay away from criminal elements and stuck to themselves due to them being pretty rare by normal standards anyway, making up less than 3% of the population of the kingdoms.

Although, since her job kept her moving around, she saw quite a few in her travels; but she didn’t stay in one place long. It was never advisable to stay too long after killing whoever was required to get out of the debt she owed. Usually it was a shady businessman, a corrupt politician, or in cases like this, those who had reneged on their loans for too long with her boss. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been a target because of his propensity for the young, she wished it was, but things were rarely that simple. No, her target had simply borrowed too much money from the wrong person for his hobby, and as such, owed a substantial amount to the syndicate leader. Who just so happened to be her boss.

So, just as always, Neo’s boss had sent her to make him pay another way. However, unlike what most people might think of the diminutive girl, she didn’t just stab them in the back the first chance she got, even though that was sometimes necessary with the harder to hit targets she had killed in the last six years. Instead, Neo had actually scoped out this target for about two weeks before she made her move. It was sooner than she would have normally done so since her target had made a recent acquisition, a small girl only five or six by what she could tell from the whimpers in the next room, but thankfully she was able to take out her quarry before he could do anything to her.

Looking back at the body of the fat man, Neo sneered in disgust. She was glad that the bastard got what was coming to him, though no one would even know it was him in roughly 4 hours. The tablets she had tossed in earlier were already starting to do their job of turning the body to mush before finishing with a pink slurry of goo, so rank that the first time she used the tablets, the smell had almost made her swear off strawberry milkshakes.

Using the sink, she cleaned off the blood so as to not scare the younger girl anymore than she already was. Fortunately, she didn’t have that much on herself, but that was only because she’d been unlucky enough to catch the blubbery man off guard with his pants around his ankles, quite literally, as he was preparing to enter the bath. It wasn’t the first time she had seen more than she wanted to since she had to strip the bodies before turning them into the slurry, lest it get into the clothes and she had to burn them. That was not a pleasant smell, nor did she want to smell it again after the last time she had been rushed.

Sending a quick text off to Roman about the girl and the situation, she got a quick reply that he’d be ready for a video call in about five minutes to do what she wouldn’t, which was talk to the little girl in the next room. While Neo _could_ talk to her, she would prefer not to; which was where Roman came in. Roman was like a brother to her, though a distant brother most of the time as they didn’t get assignments together often. The older man had certainly taken her under his wing early in her life, taught her how to survive in the streets and a little bit about fashion.

She’d never known her parents. They’d abandoned her on the side of the road before her first words were ever spoken, not that any had been spoken since then either. She’d had no idea what to do, how to survive, she didn’t even know her own name. It had been months before Roman had found her, starving and sick. She’d lived off the few scraps she’d found in dumpsters, which led to her getting rather ill, which had in turn affected her growth in the long run. Even though she was almost eighteen, she still barely stood over five feet. 

Growing up with Roman hadn’t been too bad though. He took care of her, gave her more food and sweets than any child could have dreamed of, and eventually a name; the very same name as her favourite ice cream. As she grew up, he taught her more and more. Academics, how to defend herself, how to make sure she was never taken advantage of. Sometimes the lessons were tough, but she still couldn’t remember many bad days growing up with the man who had taken her in.

A small ping broke her from her memories, and she looked down at her Scroll to see another text from Roman signaling that he was ready. She headed into the hallway and lightly knocked on the locked door next to the master bedroom, hearing a squeal of fear before the clanking of chains reached her ears; likely the girl scrambling away from the door. Letting out a soft sigh, Neo unlocked the door and let herself in before having to cover her mouth to prevent herself from hurling. 

Though it wasn’t stained with blood and guts, it was still nightmare fuel incarnate. A single bed sat in the corner, its sheets thin and mottled from how many others had probably shared it. The pillow was torn, its stuffing hanging out in areas and tinted a slight brown for some unknown reason. A small bucket sat in another corner. It was empty, but she knew what it was for. Strewn across the floor was a mess of clothes, all of them filthy and stinking of mildew, and sat amongst them chained to a wall was a small girl. Her brown hair was a mess, and tear tracks trailed down from swollen red eyes. From underneath her, Neo could just make out a small brown tail poking out from beneath her thigh. 

Getting over her disgust of the room, she set up her scroll against the scarred door before hitting the call button. He answered straight away and gave the small girl his most charming smile.

“Well aren’t you beautiful.” He lied kindly since the girl was a mess.

The young faunus shied away, but her gaze remained on Roman.

“Did that ugly old man hurt you?”

She hesitated for a second, but eventually shook her head.

“Good.” Even Neo heard the hint of relief In Roman’s voice. “Well he won’t get to either. My friend here has made sure you’re safe.”

The small brown eyes flicked her way, and Neo gave her a tiny wave and a delicate smile.

“Sh-She will?” The girl’s voice was frail and doubting, but Roman continued anyway.

“Yup. Did your parents ever tell you the story of the fairy village called Vale?” Neo resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but the girl gave an almost imperceptible nod. Of course she had, it was the most popular children's tale in all of Remnant after all. “Well you see, My friend here is actually a fairy from that village.”

Much like any child would, the brown eyes filled with curiosity as they flicked towards her. Playing along with it, she gave a confident smirk to the younger girl.

“She’s actually nearly a _thousand_ years old, and her real body is this horrible crusty old lady covered with these disgusting warts.” He pulled a weird face, and somehow managed to get a nervous chuckle from the young one. “But, when she heard you were in trouble. She took this amazing little potion to look young again and came to save you. Isn’t that great?”

A rapid nod came from the girl.

“Exactly.” He grinned. “Now how about you let her get you out of those horrible chains, and let her get you to someone who can find your parents, okay?”

Again, the eyes flicked over to her, and Neo waited patiently. Though the girl clearly believed the story, she was still obviously a little nervous. Neo couldn’t blame her since she had just been through an ordeal that no child should have to go through. But thankfully, only a couple of seconds later, she gave a small nod and held out her chained wrists.

Neo went over to the now calmer girl and took out the key she found in the man's pocket after dumping him in the tub, and unlocked the brunette from her spot on the wall. The girl got up, standing hesitantly for only a second before stumbling over her feet. Neo reacted fast and reached down to catch her, gathered the girl into her arms and carried her from the hellscape of a room into the living room. Setting her on the couch, she retrieved the Scroll with Roman still on it and silently asking him to entertain the girl while Neo finished up and made her something to eat.

“No problem. Just go ahead and leave me with her, we both know kids love me.”

Heading into the kitchen with a shake of her head, Neo opened the fridge to find it fully stocked with junk food and leftovers. While most of it looked okay, there were a few that she didn't even want to guess at what the containers held within them. Pulling out some bacon and eggs, the pink-haired girl went through the cabinets before finding a small pan and some butter. While Neo wouldn’t consider herself a world class chef, she found that she was adequate at making a few things at least. Thankfully she was good with eggs now, though remembering the first time she made them with Roman made her cringe because Roman didn't even know that eggs could catch fire, let alone while some of it was still not cooked.

Not wanting to try anything overly complex, she decided to make scrambled eggs with some toast and bacon, and popped a slice of bread in the toaster that looked like it didn't get that much use. While she was working, she heard small footsteps behind her and the sound of the Scroll being put down on the counter. Turning around, she saw the small brunette sitting on one of the stools at the breakfast bar, still a little wary but at least she was no longer crying. 

“You know, my friend was in such a rush to save you that she forgot to tell me your name?” She heard the man say, a hint of humor in his voice. “What do your parents call their little princess?” 

“Autumn.” The girl mumbled quietly.

“Well it’s nice to meet you, Autumn.” The orange-haired man replied. “You can call me Sastu. My friend here doesn’t have a human name, but she usually responds to Pinky-Pie.”

Neo felt her nerves bristle. Roman knew she hated that name, but still used it wherever he could. And with the girl only just starting to trust them, she could hardly tell him off for it at that moment.

Once she got a drink for brunette, she focused back on the task at hand, quickly flipping the bacon and the eggs before turning off the eye under the eggs since she no longer needed the heat under that pan. Flipping the bacon onto a plate, she dampened a paper towel against the bacon to get the grease off so that she didn't burn herself or the small brunette.

The girl looked at the food suspiciously, and that was when Neo realised she might have messed up a little. The girl was a doe faunus, and many tended to be vegetarians, so she quickly signed something to Roman for him to translate.

“Ahh. Pinkie-Pie here wants to know if you’re okay with meat?”

“I-I am.” She said cautiously.

“Okay. Well then once you’re done eating, Pinkie-Pie will take you to some people who can help you find your parents, okay?”

Seeing the girl pick up her fork and start to eat, Neo quickly signed a thank you to Roman. For the entire duration, she let Autumn stay on the phone with Roman, knowing that he was much better at keeping the girl calm than she would be. Once again, despite him still using that horrible name, she was glad that the man was in her life.

* * *

As Neo finally approached her house after the long day of clean up, she took the keys from her back pocket out and slowly cycled through them while she thought back on the girl from earlier. It hadn’t really taken the girl long to eat. She’d been so hungry that the food may as well have been inhaled for all she chewed. But once it was all done, they had left the house and Neo had taken her to a police station. She left her there, letting Roman assure her that the police would help her parents, before vanishing with a smile. She could hardly be seen after all. From a distance, Neo had watched the girl enter and an officer rush over to greet her, and then she promptly left to clean up the mess she had left behind at the house. 

Finally finding the key and slotting it into the lock to open the door, she dropped her coat and shoes on the floor. She was exhausted, and just wanted to sit down on the couch with her beloved froyo. Without wasting any time, she rummaged through the freezer and found her strawberry froyo in its usual hiding spot behind the horrid peas that were never eaten. Going over to the counter she set it down and grabbed a bowl, scoop, and a spoon. Unfortunately, much to her dismay, the carton she stared into left her in shock. _IT'S ALL ICE!!! ROMAN!!_ She screamed inside her head.

Silently fuming, Neo stepped further into the apartment towards Roman’s office, which sometimes doubled as a workshop. Pulling open the reinforced door softly, she saw him working at his bench, probably on melodic cudgel.

“Hey Neo, didn’t hear you come in,” Roman remained set on the task at hand, clearly unworried.

Circling her arms around him, she made sure to drag him back from the bench a little bit so that she didn’t hurt his legs. Looking behind her revealed a clear stretch of floor for the next five feet.

“Awww thanks Neo, I needed a hug.”

 _Still unaware of your betrayal, huh? So be it Roman. Your fate is sealed._ She lifted him up and over, bending her legs to bring him over herself. She got a little under halfway done with her maneuver before hearing a squawk of surprise, and an “oh shit!” as he realized what was about to happen. Completing the move she slammed his back against the floor before laying him out on the ground. Releasing her hold on his waist, she bent back up and set a foot upon his chest before signing her rage.

_ALL OF MY FROYO IS ICE YOU STRAWBERRY STEALING CUNT!_

“Oh sorry, Neo. If it's any consolation, it was really good,” he smirked lightly.

Neo held back the urge to kick him in the side, and narrowed her eyes at the man.

“Okay Okay, I get it. I won’t touch your froyo. For a while anyway.” The ginger chuckled.

The glare from the small girl got harder. 

_For now huh? What if I ate your cookies hmmm? I know you can’t get anymore for another month._

“Whoa Whoa Whoa Neo. Let’s not be hasty now! I’ll leave your froyo alone okay?”

_Next time you fuck with my froyo I will find every cookie stash you have and eat them!_

“Fine I’ll leave your froyo alone. You leave my cookies where they are dammit!”

Satisfied by his declaration, Neo left the thief on the floor, and with plans of relaxation with froyo ruined, went back to her humble room. The small room wasn’t much by normal standards, but there were a few things that made her call it home. One being the rack for her various weapons, and the other being the bed on which laid the teddy bear Roman had found for her. It had been stitched together from three other animals with different colored furs, the colors being pink, brown and white; and while the creation was an amalgam of other stuffed animals, she loved the fact that he went out of his way to make her feel normal.

While she didn’t care about it as much now as earlier in her life, Neo’s appearance bothered her since other children had often mocked her for her odd looks. The pink and brown hair, her eyes that changed colors every so often, paired with her unwillingness to talk, made it easy to be picked on, and often led to said kids ending up with a black eye, and her in the principal's office. That was of course before Roman pulled her out of school and taught her everything he knew because he couldn’t stand the entitled brats bullying her.

Closing the door behind her, Neo peeled off her sweaty clothes and donned a new pair of underwear before flicking her scroll open. Starting some music, Neo snuggled under the sheets, into her usual arrangement with a pillow tucked behind her as well as one in her arms. Her mind quickly became blank as she passed out with the sounds of heavy metal playing in the background.


	2. Going Through the Motions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rooster Teeth Productions
> 
> Co-authored by Raalm
> 
> Notes at the end.

It was a few weeks after her last job that she got a message from her boss indicating that he had another job for her. Fortunately, it would be so big a payday that it would be the last thing that she would have to do to pay off her debt. A few years ago, Neo had been found hiding in a compartment that Roman used to smuggle between kingdoms where she'd been watching over a shipment of illicit goods. Since she knew that they weren’t alerted by her making a sound, it was highly likely they were tipped off about the location. Thankfully Roman and her had been able to get away before they could be arrested. Sadly the man that they had been working for hadn’t seen it as a simple mistake… As it had been a large investment lost in that shipment, and because they lost it, they were stuck paying for losing it.

Heading to the dead drop that he left for her, she was glad that she was almost done, and found herself curious at what type of job would pay off the rest of her debt. It probably wouldn’t be a priority target, since those were usually reserved for Watts’ closest hitmen. It could be a bulk target, which she hated as it was more than one person and had a pretty good chance at getting messy. Thankfully the drop off wasn’t too far from their current apartment, so she would find out rather quickly.

It wasn’t long before she arrived at the door of the building that she had learned to hate pretty quick. It was a bar in downtown Mistral. The owner was under the thrall of her boss, and as such didn't mind when she showed up. The elusive man wasn’t too known outside of his top lieutenants, and herself as she had managed to do some research on the wayward genius. He had even managed to fake his death not once, but twice. So there was no doubt in the eyes of the authorities that there was no way possible that he was responsible for the overall syndicate that was plaguing the kingdoms. 

Neo had been given two choices when Watts met her for the first time. Stab others, or be stabbed in a different way when she was older. Suffice to say, Neo chose to stab others; and only partially because Neo had figured out earlier that year that she was attracted to women. So to even think about having to pay back the debt owed to Watts on her back was abhorrent to the pink haired girl, worse than killing for it. She knew that in, and of, itself was a shallow mindset, to value her own comfort over the life of others, but it was what it was. 

It hadn’t taken Roman that long to give her a little bit of a crash course since there had been plenty of self defense lessons from him before. After those lessons though, she’d found herself taken with collecting all manner of weaponry, but the long part had been finding a weapon that she liked. Though technically Neo still didn't have a weapon that she liked, just ones that she tolerated. As such, she had an assortment of weapons that she could use, but most of them were rudimentary knowledge at best. When she did find weapons she liked though, she was always taken enough to study them properly and figure out how they were best put to use.

Thankfully though, her targets rarely even saw her long enough to put up a fight. Though it was what she’d chosen to do to pay back her debt, for as little choice as there was, she didn’t enjoy it. And she certainly didn’t prolong it if she could help it. No, she preferred to get it over with quickly and be done with it. And not just the killing either, but the entire thing. So, with a quick breath, she pushed through the door and slipped inside the bar.

The place was busy, since most people in lower Mistral had nothing to do but work and drink, so it was easy for her to slip by the purple-clad woman behind the bar. Pushing her way through the crowd, avoiding the weird looks she got from a few of the patrons, she made her way to the bathroom and jumped into the third stall, locking it behind her. It didn’t take her long to slip the loose tile away, revealing the small, hidden compartment inside, from which she pulled a thin envelope. It was a little thicker than usual though, and Neo let out a frustrated sigh at the fact there were likely multiple targets this time. Replacing the tile, she stood up and shoved it into her chocolate-coloured long coat, and made her way back out of the bar.

It didn’t take long for her to make it home, though there was a little detour on the way to a little convenience store for some froyo. When she did walk through the door however, Roman was waiting for her, feet up on the coffee table and a cigar in hand. She’d always hated the damn things, but Roman had loved them for as long as she could remember.

“You get it?” He asked, breathing out a long stream of smoke with a satisfied sigh.

She gave a nod and pulled the envelope free. Roman wasn’t technically supposed to know about the dead drop, but the man had always felt some guilt for getting them into the situation, so he always tried his best to stay informed and make sure she was safe.

“Looks bigger than normal.” He remarked, eyeing the envelope with disgust. “You sure that is this last one?”

Neo gave another nod, and sat down beside her best friend. Passing him the bag, he got up and went to put it away, returning a second later with a pot of strawberry froyo and a spoon. More than happy to take it, she popped it open and ripped the seal off the dead drop. Just as she thought, more than one target was inside. In fact, there were three.

Pulling them all out while putting a spoonful of delicious froyo into her mouth, Neo carefully inspected each one. The first was one she could do without much trouble, a woman who dealt drugs made from crushed faunus horn. The second was a little more complicated, a businessman who had taken a little too much for his gambling addiction; thankfully that one was simply to destroy his marriage, not kill him. The third though, seemed like it would be trouble. A mercenary who apparently ran the odd job now and then. It didn’t say what he had done to deserve to die, but it did say that he should know she’d been sent by Watt’s before she finished him.

“That last one seems like a bitch.” Roman breathed, pulling the file on the mercenary towards him and inspecting the man’s scarred face. “Won’t go down easy, that’s for sure.”

‘ _ I will be fine. _ ’ She signed back, not wanting him to worry about her.

Feeling something left in the envelope, she tipped it upside down and a small flash drive slipped out into her lap. A little label was attached to the end of it.

- _ From your last job. Should help with Dudley.- _

Remembering what her last job had been, it didn’t take much thinking to know what was on the device. Barely wanting to touch it, she picked it up like it was a turd in the grass and dropped it back into the envelope, which she then shoved into a secret compartment in the couch cushion.

“Look,” Roman said, placing the document on the table. “I know you’ve said before that you don’t want my help…” Neo shook her head and signed for him not to start. “...  _ But _ I want to help. It’s my fault we were caught. I never even wanted this life for y…”

‘ _ Stop. _ ’ Neo signed again.

“Listen, just let me take this guy. You don’t have to put yourself in this kind of d…”

“N-No.”

Her voice came out cracked, barely even a whisper, yet it still hurt her throat. From just one word, it felt like someone had stabbed her, and she swallowed hard. But it shut him up. With a shake of her head to further her point, she stood up and picked up all the documents.

‘ _ He will find out.’ _ she signed quickly.

She barely heard the loud sigh that escaped the man as she picked up her froyo and left for her room to study the information before having to burn it. It was a mistake to show Roman the files, because all he ever did was worry.

* * *

It was a small duffle, yet Roman was still trying to stuff more clothes for her to wear. The first target had been a simple affair, and easily dealt with in a short time, the second she was going to finish up that night before she set after the third. She’d managed to track him down to a cave on the swampy outskirts of the kingdom, not far from the base of the mountain of Mistrial. 

“Come on, Neo. Just let me dress you up.” Roman groaned, reading the signs as fast as they flew from the half dressed girl.

_ Roman I'm a full grown adult! I can dress myself.  _ The pout on her face was cute by most people’s standards, but was completely ineffective against the ginger.

“One outfit, and I promise that it will be the only one that you try on, okay?”

_ 'Fine! But only one you silver tongued bastard.' _

Roman rolled his eyes at the comment, expecting nothing less from the ice cream-themed girl. He quickly headed out of the room to grab something before coming back with a small bag. Tossing it at her, she opened it to find a new jumpsuit, some brown jeans and a white trench coat with pink highlights and brown accents. It wasn't that different from her other outfits, so she was curious as to why Roman got her a new one. Looking at him with her head canted slightly to the side, Neo adopted a questioning look on her face.

“It's bulletproof, Neo. I know you have slash resistant fabrics, but from what I could find on this guy, he exclusively uses guns and gun morphics. He also hops around the place like a coked up crack whore jumping on the nearest john for some cash.”

_ 'Sounds like fun, but what did I say about worrying? _ 'Neo signed with a sigh and frown.

“Not to. But this job stinks of something going wrong where you least expect it to, Neo. I can't do much for you, but I can at least make it to where one thing doesn't have a chance at hurting you.”

Roman had a point. It wasn’t like Watts to give a job that seemed this easy that would also clear her debt; especially since the man tended to play his cards close to his chest. That didn't even take into account the fact that usually, to leave the man’s employ, it required a shallow grave. So the thought was nice, but not too unusual for the ginger since he had always looked out for her. Besides, the outfit definitely looked great! So to add in the fact that it doubled as a bulletproof vest? Brownie points.  _ Maybe I was too quick to threaten his cookies _ , Neo thought as she put a spoon of froyo in her mouth.

_ 'Thanks. I get the same vibe, but it's not as bad. But he isn’t expecting me, so it shouldn’t be that hard. It’s not like I don’t have a ton of experience with killing people.' _

“Just promise me you’ll be safe.” Roman’s voice took on a softer tone that she didn’t hear too often. The humor and snarky remarks were gone, and all she could hear was concern. “If shit goes bad, you get yourself out of there, okay? Getting free of Watts isn’t worth more than your life.”

_ 'I will _ ,' Neo signed back with a smile. 

Roman was the only person to ever show her any kind of love. She owed more to him than she did to anyone else, and that was part of why she did what she did. Not only was she in Watts’ line of sight, but so were the people she loved. And she couldn’t let him hurt Roman.

“Good.” He breathed, flattening out her collar and standing behind her proudly. “So what’cha think?”

_ 'It looks great _ ,' she signed and turned to look at it from all angles.

Feeling him pat her head, something he hadn’t done in years, Neo looked up at him and gave him a small grin. Maybe once they were free of Watts, when all her debts were paid, she could convince Roman to move away with her. Vacuo was always great. Beaches and hot weather that made it great for froyo any time of the day, how could he say no.

_ Yeah _ , she thought to herself with a smile.  _ Definitely Vacuo. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Ya'll Toxic here, thanks for joining me for the next installment of Hard choices, I won't lie and say that the writing process for this one has gone swimmingly, as I've been finding it very hard to write. The buffer I have for this story is only a chapter more, and I have a month to get another written or I no longer have a buffer and can no longer promise the monthly uploads. 
> 
> Now that that's out of the way, Thank you so much for the support and comments on the story so far, even though you all have no idea where its going other than its a story that revolves around my favorite ice cream girl, neo. However that doesn't mean that POVs will not be switching, as this story has a few parts that won't be seen by Neo, due to certain circumstances. Now as far as updates are concerned I will be sticking to the monthly upload for as long as i have chapters to do so. 
> 
> Also Feel free to leave any and all comments in the comments, as they spur me on to make more for this story and the world that I'm building. Until next time, I'll see you in the comments!


	3. Cleaning up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings: Blood, death, Neo things, the normal.
> 
> I do not own rwby, as it's property of RT.

Neo was looking forward to dumping the gloves into the nearest junkyard after she was finished. While the task wasn't that difficult since Dudley’s wife and kid were at the store, she found the task itself positively revolting. The content on the flash drive was horrendous, and even though she only saw small thumbnails, Neo found a new hate for pedophiles. Thankfully, it was over and she could blow the drive up later. 

Making her way out of the barren house, Neo noticed something out of the ordinary; but then again was probably normal for a family with kids. Growing up, Roman hadn’t really been able to afford much, so the only toy she’d really had was the malformed stuffed animal that she’d been gifted. She figured that wasn’t the case for other families, but still found the fact that there were teddy bears in almost every major room weird. _Kid’s lucky though, I guess._ She thought to herself. 

Neo locked the door behind her and crossed the street before getting into a perch she had found a few hours earlier. The house wasn’t too far out in the suburbs, but it was far enough to have plenty of trees and one of them had a perfect line of sight that was invisible from below. While not extremely comfortable, it got the job done and Neo got as comfortable as she could before taking out a book and reading, content to wait until the target’s wife got back from wherever she was.

It was an hour or so before a car pulled into the driveway and the wife scurried into the house. Just before she entered though, Neo set off the notification on the desktop in the living room so that her attention would be drawn to it. After about ten minutes, if the scream of shock and horror was anything to go by, Neo considered her job finished. Putting her book back into her bag, she cleaned up and hopped out of the tree before heading to the next target’s last known location.

* * *

Not too much further... at least that's what the tip she’d been given said. The merc was supposed to be on the bottom layer of Mistral; deep in the swamp. While the terrain wasn't hard to traverse, she had almost lost one of her shoes in the murky mud. There wasn't that much to note about her surroundings, trees dotted the land every so often, land which dipped slightly to contain the murky pools of water. It had rained earlier in the week and the ground was soaked, making walking almost a hazard in the deep mud.

Thankfully she had worn her trekking boots since Neo would have hated to get the boots in her bag dirty. That morning she had packed up camp fairly early, as she had wanted to catch the merc off guard and tired. The sun had peeked over the horizon painting the dull sky with pinks and reds. Beautifully ironic considering how there was no purple this morn, only different shades of red, like her hands had become over the years. Stained with the blood of many. Sure they all did something to get themselves killed, but it was still blood all the same. Blood that would always be there no matter how many times she washed her hands. She had killed so many. Only one more body stood between her and freedom. One last job. 

_Is it bad that the only feeling I have right now is relief? Relief that it's almost over?_

_No, it's not. Life isn’t fair. If it's not one thing taking from you, it's another; so while I loathe this part of me, and that others will never be able to love me because of it if I tell them, I wouldn’t change a thing. Given the same choices even with how I am now? I’d still choose murder. That probably makes me a hypocrite. Though at this point the only person who really cares about that would be me._

Neo was pulled from her thoughts as she saw some sunlight in the distance. It was a sign that the densely-packed trees were getting thinner, and that there was a clearing further ahead. That lined up with the tip. So slowing her pace and finding a tree to put her stuff in, she drew her favorite stiletto and got ready for a fight. Before opening up her bag and getting a smaller throwing knife to slot in her boot it wouldn’t do much but it's helpful to have a backup. Zipping it back up, Neo marked the tree so she could find it later, a little N on the bark. Not too deep as she didn't want to hurt the tree.

“You can come out now, little girl,” a shout came from the clearing up ahead.

 _Fuck, well there goes hope that this is going to be easy._ Neo thought to herself as she passed by the trees into the clearing. Sitting on a log with a fire in front of him, sat her target. He looked disheveled, and tired, but obviously awake and aware of her. As she cleared the trees, he pointed his gun at her. It wasn’t anything too weird, just a standard 9mm pistol, with an extended mag, _Great more bullets that could end up inside me if I’m not careful._

Neo stared at the man, looking into the cold grey eyes over the barrel of his gun. She was fairly good at reading people, but she saw nothing in them. They looked empty, like there was nothing in his life, nothing except murder and money. It was how Watts made you. So indebted to him, fulfilling all his tasks and everything he asked of you until that it was eventually all you knew. She was determined not to end up like that. She wanted to live, she wanted out, and to do that, all she had left to do was kill this one person. From the looks of it, it seemed like she would be doing him a favour.

He clearly didn’t feel the same, or maybe he just wanted to go out fighting, because his finger twitched and Neo jumped to the side as a gunshot rang out in the clearing. The loud impact of wood cracking came from behind her as she took cover behind a rock.

“The only way I’ll go back to that monster is in a body bag.” He growled, causing a splash with each step he took in the muddy water. “And if that means I have to kill a kid… So be it.”

Hearing a loud splash which she took to be the man leaping into the air, she pushed off the rock and twisted her body into a roundhouse kick. Her foot sailed over the boulder and collided with his legs as he landed, sweeping them out from underneath him and causing him to land hard on his side before rolling backwards. Seeing her opportunity, she leapt over it herself while pulling the stiletto dagger from her hip. Unfortunately, the man rolled out of the way and the tip of the knife only found soft mud.

Knowing the gun would already be aimed at her, she too dived to the side just in time to hear a bullet whiz past her head. Thankfully, that time she landed on harder ground immediately pushing off of it and rushing towards the man. Her approach had not gone unnoticed however, so as he readied to fire again, she threw the stiletto. He ducked out of the way for the most part, but the sharp blade tore across his shoulder; and as he let out a hiss of pain, she slammed her fist into his stomach.

However, with the man being much stronger and probably more resilient than her, she wasn’t going to chance staying close for too long, so followed up by gracefully pirouetting out of the way of what would have been a particularly nasty pistol whip. Before she could sweep his leg though, he had jumped out of the way, landing on a nearby rock to shoot at her. Though his aim was good, she was faster than he was, so she effortlessly kept up the pressure.

Though Neo knew it was likely only a few minutes, the fight felt like it went on for twenty. Roman had been right about the man jumping everywhere, and half her time was spent chasing him as he bounced from rock to tree to sewage pipe. A few bullets hit her in the process, but the gifted coat from Roman protected her from everything other than the pain of the impact; which was close to what a paintball would feel like if it was fired from point blank. Finally though, she heard the distinctive click that told her he was out of bullets, and knew it was her time to go on the offensive.

Before he could pull another magazine from his pocket, she picked up a thick branch from the ground and hurled it at him. It twisted in midair before hitting the mark she had aimed for, the man’s knee, with an audible crack and a shout of pain echoing from the downed merc. She wasn’t sure if it had broken the joint or not, but she did know it would slow him down enough for her to finally finish him. 

Fortunately for her, the man was better with guns than he was with his fists. With the deep cut to his shoulder and the damaged knee, she was easily able to dodge his blows and danced around him. She no longer had her weapon since it still laid in the mud a couple of feet away, and she knew she didn’t have time to collect it without risking him reloading, so she tried for something else. Carefully guiding him around with parries and tactical punches, she did her best to get him into the position she needed him. 

It only took a couple of seconds though, and after dodging a blow that had been aimed for her head, she took a step back and once again twisted on the spot. As she came around, she pushed her foot out into his stomach, sending him reeling backwards into one of the many broken sewage pipes. A loud cry of pain tore from his throat as the sharp, rusty metal was driven through his body, the end dripping with blood as it stuck out just below where his rib cage came to an end. 

It seemed they both knew the deed was done, since his hand dropped and his gun fell to the floor. Even if he got himself off, the infection from something so filthy would surely end him. All that was left was to wait for the coughing to stop. It was a sound she didn’t want to hear, but she needed to make sure. She needed to make sure she was free. So falling to her knees, she waited. Even after so much killing and bloodshed, she still felt the regret of her actions seep in.

“Th…” The cough drew her eyes up to the man, and she saw his cold eyes had changed. There was acceptance in them now. “Th.. k’you.”

Giving the man a mournful look, she watched as he coughed again, and then fell silent. The acceptance faded from his eyes, and so did everything else. It was only then that she realized how she’d been wrong. She’d thought before that they were empty, void of anything to live for; but in his death, they were even darker. Maybe even with his awful life, there were still things keeping him going, things he wanted. Things that he would now never get, because of her. And that thought made her feel a little sick, something her body immediately reacted to. Her stomach churned, and she leant over to empty what little had been in her stomach.

Her retching continued for a good thirty seconds, but it finally subsided, leaving her exhausted. The things she had done for her freedom, the lives she had taken or destroyed. She felt them all. She remembered each and every one of them, each one’s final moments burned into her memory. Maybe she would end up like them one day. Maybe Watts would come for her too, and she honestly wasn’t even sure that she didn’t deserve it. After all, she’d chosen murder over prostitution. Prostitution was bad, but it didn’t hurt anyone but her. 

However, what was done was done. She couldn’t change that now, all she could do was regret and remember. Remember that feeling, remember those moments, and use them to make sure that she never fell under the control of a monster like Watts again. So, with only her freedom ahead of her, she made to stand up, only to be distracted by a noise coming from nearby. 

It was an odd sound, almost like music. It’s ethereal rhythm was unlike anything she’d heard in Mistral though and didn’t even sound like anything an instrument could make. It should have scared her, should have triggered the fear of people stumbling upon her, but it didn’t. Instead the transcendental sound filled her body, gently warming her and inviting her to follow it. Still on all fours, she lifted her head to look where it was coming from and saw a crack in the side of the mountain just wide enough for her to fit through. Again, she knew she should be leaving, but the noise felt strangely familiar. Almost homely. 

Her curiosity won out, and she slowly began to raise to her feet. The place was out of the way, so she had plenty of time to check the source bef... 

“Ahh!” 

The music faded as quickly as it came as something sharp was suddenly forced through her leg, and the grunt of pain escaped her before she could stop it. Before her confusion could pass though, a kick was delivered to her ribs that sent her spinning onto her back. The cloudy blue sky filled her vision for a moment before a man entered it. He was wearing a disheveled white shirt with a pair of freshly torn jeans, his long hair hung down lankly and clumped with sweat and filth against his rage torn face. She recognized him immediately as the man whose marriage Watts had sent her to end.

“Betcha didn’t expect this, did ya, bitch?” He held up a teddy bear with his left hand. “You know what this is? Huh? Of course you don’t. You’re probably just some filthy fucking street rat!”

Though she tried to move out of the way, she was too tired and in too much pain. The second kick landed, and from the huge wave of pain that rushed through her, she knew a few ribs had been broken.

“This…” He said as he lowered himself to his knee and held up the bear again. “Is a nanny cam.” _Shit_ , she thought to herself, unsure how she’d been so stupid. “You tried to fuck up my life, but this caught you.” He let out a cruel laugh. “I could have just handed it to the police, let them toss you in jail, but he would just get you out again. And I can’t have that.”

His free hand clasped around whatever was in her leg, and yet more pain surged through her as it was torn free. Holding it up to reveal it was her discarded stiletto, she let out a small whimper.

“No, no. I want to send a message.” His fist crashed into her face, blurring her vision. “To both you and him. You fucked with my family, almost cost me my daughter. And for that you have to pay.” He wiggled the knife thoughtfully, before giving it a quick spin. “Don’t worry.” He said viciously. “I’ll make it slow.”

Pain like she’d never felt before ripped through every part of her body as the blade was shoved into her stomach. She could feel it, feel her stomach twisting around the metal and her nerves burning in agony. The man left in the blade, and knowing that if she removed it, it would only make her bleed out faster, Neo left it where it was. With the searing pain in her chest making her eyes water, Neo could barely make out the shape of the man as he stood and went to walk away.

“I hope it fucking hurts!” He spat, the liquid landing on her face.

Those were his last words however, and the wet sounds of footsteps were all she heard as he walked away.

A dark thought popped into Neo’s head, _If I’m dying here, I’m taking the bastard with me. I’ve already killed so many, what’s one more?_ The thought came with a reminder, a reminder that there was a small throwing knife in her boot. Pulling out the knife took but a second, though considering her injuries it was painful, but in Neo’s eyes a little pain to end the man who killed her is a worthwhile bit of pain. So palming the knife and aiming for her target, the side of his neck, she threw the small knife at him, catching him right where she wanted.

“Fuc…”

 _Oh right…. That was one of the knives coated in neurotoxin…. So while not painful at least he’s dead._ Wind whistled by her head, carrying a faint tune. _Now I can die lying on this cold ground._ A small tinkling reached Neo’s ears, before the sound of drums pulsed through her body. _Oh, the music is back. Why does my stomach feel dull now? Is it the music?_ Neo carefully flipped over onto her knees and only felt a dull throb in her abdomen. _I have to get closer. If this is how I live, I have to get closer._

Neo’s fingers grasped at the grass in front of her, pulling herself up just a little so she could see the crack where the music seemed to originate from, with her goal firmly in her head she started the painful crawl towards the fissure.

Time was immaterial, Neo couldn’t tell if it had been five minutes or two hours. All that mattered was one hand in front of the other, while the pain dulled into nothingness. It was probably the shock in her system throwing everything off but her mind barely registered the change of terrain from grass to shorn rock, though she did notice it was easier to drag herself through the tunnel. 

Eventually though, Neo found herself looking at a calm underground lake that had, from her addled mind’s perspective, no bottom. She was on a cliff above it, not too far from the surface. The music was pulling her closer to the lake before it left as suddenly as it appeared. Neo only faintly realized that she fell into the water below….

* * *

~~~~~~

The guards-woman shrugged the weight of the armor around so the strap of her chestplate stopped digging into her bra. While the task assigned to her wasn't hard, she didn't really know why the council still had this position in the rotation given that they had more than enough defenses around the portal; let alone that only those who were of blood or trusted could pass through. And there was only another use or two before the runes that facilitated the massive exchange of magic for teleportation went dormant for a while to recharge. While most forms of magic that were considered normal in the kingdom all had a degree of life to them, no other creation had quite as much freedom as the Portal, as it was almost sentient in how it interacted with the people who used it.

As that was the case, there were no outgoing or incoming shipments to the outer settlements so the woman was rather surprised to hear the portal open for a brief moment. Turning around, she could only stare in shock as a small multi-colored girl was spat out of the portal's entrance. As the woman stared, the warrior inside of her noticed the injuries that caused immediate worry and quickly turned the girl over to see a knife in her stomach. So moving with a haste that was rarely seen in the normally calm warrior, she gathered up the diminutive girl in her arms and ran to the closest healer, hoping to save this strange girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo, Toxic here, sooo before you get up in arms, there is a plan, or at least a very bare bones of a plan. I don't like hurting the ice cream bean. As for everything else... well there were hints about this, as for after this, well I can't guarantee whats going to happen as I'm still trying to figure out how in depth I want to go, and as its taking me so long to write these chapters its probably gonna be longer than a month before the next installment. 
> 
> Anyway enough me covering my ass, if you have any questions or comments, just leave a comment and I'll get to them as soon as I, as the comments really fuel this one. Really I live for your comments.


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